


lonely parents and the legendary babysitter

by WattStalf



Series: Corrin Ship Week 2017 [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-14 03:12:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10527645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: Single-mother Corrin needs someone to look after her son, and Ophelia is just right for the job. However, she and the babysitter's father begin to bond unexpectedly.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic marks the beginning of a new AU, my single dads AU. There's more to it than that, but that's the common theme. There's going to be more than just OdinCorrin, so keep your eyes peeled. Thisis for Corrin Ship Week, theme of Family Life.  
> The previous spouses of the characters aren't touched on cos I didn't want to make any canon characters dead or the bad guy, so yeah.  
> Some things that aren't mentioned here but might be touched on later: Xander and Leo are both lawyers at the same firm (Leo really wants to prove that he's not just his brother's shadow), the spa Severa works for is owned by Camilla, Camilla is married to Benny and Elise is married to Keaton, Owain's father is Frederick, and Lucina is married to Laurent. I haven't thought about who Inigo's father is, but it's probably Henry.

He knows that there are complications with the pregnancy. He knows that there’s a chance one of them might not make it, and in the end, it is his wife who dies, leaving him alone with their new daughter. Owain isn’t sure if he’s ready- if he’ll ever be ready- to be a father all by himself, but he’s all Ophelia has, and he supposes he’s just going to have to do his best for her.

~X~

Owain is an actor at a dinner theater, and before he gets cast as Odin Dark, a leading character in some obscure musical, he usually only gets bit parts. Severa, his cousin, seems born for the part of the diva, but she never makes it beyond the dinner theater either. The two have been into acting since they were kids, but Owain has always taken it more seriously, often keeping his roles up even off the stage.

It’s during this show that the two of them meet Inigo, a choreographer who they learn inherited a dance studio when his mother retired. He’s supposed to be choreographing the show, but it’s during the audition that the director discovers nobody can dance quite like he can. One of the lead roles, Laslow, is a dance-intensive role, and after much convincing, Inigo somehow finds himself cast in a show despite not being a part of the dinner theater to begin with.

“Honestly,” he protests, “I get terrible stage fright, I couldn’t!” But the director will hear nothing of it, and that is how he ends up acting alongside Owain and Severa, the latter cast as a character named Selena. The first time he talks to them directly, it’s to flirt with Severa, which does not go well. At all.

Inigo doesn’t let that get him down, nor does he let the rejections from any of the cast members get him down, and despite his claims of shyness, he sees to think himself quite the ladies’ man. When one of the women laughs him off and says he’s not her type, he asks what is, and she points to Owain with a sly smile.

That is how he meets his wife.

~X~

Ophelia grows up hearing a lot of stories about that musical, as Owain considers it one of the happiest times in his life. Odin was one of his favorite roles, and he met one of his best friends there, and...of course, Ophelia loves to hear about the mother she never knew.

More than that, she latches onto his character, and likes it when he acts out scenes for her. It gets to the point where he’s much like he was in his younger days of acting, where he doesn’t break character often, even during his daily life. He helps her create her own character, Ophelia Dusk, and the two have fun together, creating stories and acting out scenes. His friends tease him for it, but he doesn’t mind, as long as his daughter is happy. He thinks that this must mean he’s doing a good job.

~X~

His whole family is at the funeral, and Severa’s sister, Lucina, stays at his side, offering to hold Ophelia often, as if he might break down at any time, but he refuses to let her go. Sometimes he looks over to Severa and her husband, and seeing just how visibly pregnant she is now, and he can’t help but worry for her, while she has a hard time looking at him at all.

Everyone is there; Lucina and Severa, their parents, both of their husbands, and his mother and father, but Owain just keeps Ophelia close, already promising himself that he won’t fail her. It’s easier to think about that than to remember that the woman in the casket is-  _ was _ \- his wife.

~X~

Forrest is born without any complications, thankfully, but Severa decides to quit acting for a bit, since she can’t do much after giving birth, but then she never goes back to it. Instead, she finds work at a locally owned spa, saying that she needs a more steady income if she’s going to have a family. Leo earns enough on his own to support them all, but she’d never let him take all the credit.

She chides Owain for not giving it up, especially when he’s raising his daughter on his own, but she and Leo are always willing to help him out when he needs it, even if it’s just watching Ophelia. He couldn’t quit the job he loves so much, and when Ophelia grows, she comes to love it too, so that gives him all the more reason not to abandon it.

~X~

Inigo has a daughter not long before Ophelia is born, but his marriage has its issues from the beginning, his wife always convinced she’s cheating on him. It’s ironic that she ends up leaving him for another man, not bothering to keep in contact with their daughter at all. Whenever Owain is busy with a show and Severa and Leo are busy with work, Inigo is willing to take Ophelia, or at least, if he’s busy as well, leave her with his mother, and this is how she and Soleil are nearly raised together.

~X~

The girls grow up until they’re in high school, with Ophelia never losing her passion for the characters that she and her father bond over. She starts babysitting to pick up extra money during his off-seasons, though he insists she doesn’t have to give any of her money to him, and she’s always a huge hit with kids, who have fun with her games and always want to see her again.

Ophelia Dusk is a well-known and popular babysitter in town, and Owain gets a lot of calls for her. He doesn’t think anything of most of them, and when he gets a call from a woman named Corrin, it doesn’t occur to him that it might mean anything at all.

~X~

“It’s hard for me to find time to do anything right now,” says Corrin, talking to her older brother on the phone. “You know that I can’t just leave Kana by himself.” She’s only recently moved back to her hometown, with only her son. It’s been a few years since her husband passed away, and Kana is too young to even remember him, but it’s still difficult living as a single mother.

“You can have someone babysit him for one evening,” says Xander.

“Or you could make plans with me during reasonable hours. But you know I have to have him in bed before eight.”

“I don’t get out of work on time most nights.”

“Well, it’s not easy finding a good babysitter in a new town. Siegbert isn’t interested in watching him, is he?”

Her brother chuckles. “It depends on if I have him that day, but I doubt he’d know what to do. Listen, I’ll ask around and get back to you, okay? But, if I find someone who can look after him, you have to come to dinner with us. You know we’re all dying to get caught up with you.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

~X~

In the end, Xander finds out about one of Leo’s friend’s children, who is supposedly popular with kids, and Corrin gives her house a call, first getting in touch with the girl’s father before getting to talk to the girl. She still isn’t too sure about leaving Kana with a complete stranger, but she supposes that she can trust Leo’s judgment.

The night of her dinner arrives, and she makes sure that Kana is fed before the babysitter arrives, reminding him to behave and make sure he doesn’t give the girl any trouble when she puts him down for bed. When he asks her if she’s definitely, for sure, going to be back in the morning, she almost doesn’t go, she’s so heartbroken by the look on his face. But then the doorbell rings, and she goes to answer it.

Standing on her porch is a man with a girl, both blonde. He gives her a bright smile and says, “Hello! You must be Corrin! We-”

“-are Ophelia Dusk and Odin Dark!” his daughter interrupts. “He is but a traveler tonight, but I have come to ensure the safety of the young Kana!”

“The...what, now?”

“It’s just as my daughter says! We come from a long line of chosen heroes, you see!” He gives her a bright grin before smiling sheepishly and saying. “I’m an actor, and it kinda sticks outside of work. My name’s just Owain.”

She remembers that from the phone call, but she smiles and says, “And her name is still Ophelia. I guess you guys must like to act things out a lot, huh?”

“I only break character when I absolutely have to!” he brags.

“Do you guys talk funny cos it’s a game?” asks Kana.

“I can assure you that it’s no mere game!” replies Ophelia. “But, if you’d like for me to teach you, all you have to do is say the word!”

“I do! I want you to!” he says, brightening. “Mama, I wanna play with Ophelia!”

It’s a relief to see his enthusiasm, since he normally doesn’t like when she leaves, particularly when it’s someone that he doesn’t know well. “You have plenty of time to play with her while she watches you. Just don’t forget to go to bed on time!”

“I won’t!” he says. “Ophelia, come with me, I wanna show you my toys!”

Before she has a chance to reply, Kana is already dragging her away, leaving Corrin alone with Owain. Without his daughter around, there’s a less comical look to him and he says, “I’m sure Kana will be just fine. Ophelia Dusk is beloved by children everywhere!”

“I’m glad I was able to find someone. It’s been difficult since we moved here.”

“Yes, Leo did mention a sister moving back home! Oh, I guess that means we’re technically part of the same family, huh?”

“That’s right, he’s married to your cousin,” she says. “Maybe you should come to dinner with the family.” She winks to let him know that she’s teasing.

“Severa would probably kill me if I showed up with a woman I’ve only just met, and her sister-in-law, on top of that. You see, even a fearsome hero like Odin Dark has some weaknesses.”

“For someone with ‘Dark’ in their name, seems like you could light up any room,” Corrin says, not really sure what she’s getting at. He’s a strange man, no doubt, but she likes talking to him. So much so that she hasn’t left yet, even though she really needs to get going to make it to dinner. “I should really say goodbye to Kana and get going. I’ll call you when I get back so that you can come pick up Ophelia, alright?”

“Odin Dark is at your beck and call, milady,” he replies.

“It’s been nice meeting you,  _ Odin Dark _ ,” she says. “Owain.”

~X~

Owain doesn't know what's come over him as he drives home. It's not often that a complete stranger is as receptive of his character upon first meeting him as Corrin was, so perhaps that's a part of it. Whatever the case, he feels strangely excited about meeting her, to the point that he can't forget her smile the whole way home. It’s been a long time since he’s thought about anyone in this way, and when he tries to remember a time before, the face that comes to his mind…

It’s been fifteen years since he lost Ophelia’s mother. In all of that time, he never considered dating again, even if others mentioned it to him. Ophelia has always been his top priority, and the thought of pursuing someone else felt so wrong at the time, like it would be some kind of distraction. He’s never looked at another woman like that since, but as much as he tries to deny it, he knows that he finds Corrin to be very attractive. From what Leo and Severa have said about her, he knows that she’s a single mother, that she lost her spouse as well…

But that doesn’t mean he can get any ideas in his head! He doesn’t know anything about her other than the fact that she’s pretty, that her son adores his daughter, that the two of them had one good conversation. She might not be over her husband, and he never realized that he was over his wife. It’s far too soon to be thinking about things like that, but Owain finds himself restless as he waits for that call from Corrin to let him know he can pick up Ophelia.

~X~

“You should come over and play with me more!” says Kana.

“Have you really enjoyed your time assisting the chosen heroine that much, Kana, O Prince of Dragons?”

“Yeah! I was sad when my mama said I couldn’t come with her, but I don’t think I will be next time.”

Dropping her character voice for a moment, Ophelia says, “Is she normally home?”

“Yeah! She takes me to school early in the morning, but she always picks me up on time!”

“Where does she work at?”

“A library,” he replies, though he puzzles over the pronunciation a little bit. “Do you think my mama and your papa are friends?”

“They did seem to get along. Why do you ask?”

“Because my mama doesn’t have a lot of friends! She said that we moved here so that we could be closer to our family, but I want her to have friends too. I miss my old friends, but I made new ones, and I would be lonely if I didn’t have any.”

“It’s sweet of you to worry about her like that,” says Ophelia, thinking about her father and Kana’s mother. “I hope that they can be friends too.”

“Then we can play together all the time!”

“That would be great,” she replies with a smile. “But, unfortunately, it’s time for you to go bed. Are you ready?”

Kana only pouts for a moment before he says, “Okay. Mama told me I needed to go to bed on time…”

“I have a very exciting bedtime story to tell you!”

At this, his eyes brighten. “Really? About you?”

“Of course!”

~X~

“I hope Kana didn’t give you any trouble tonight.”

“Not at all! He’s a sweet boy. I hope you’ll consider me next time you need someone!”

Corrin gives Ophelia a smile. “I’m sure I will,” she says. All throughout the night, she hasn’t been able to get the babysitter, or her father, out of her mind. Her siblings all brought their spouses- with the exception of Xander, who is still single- and there were plenty of jokes made about the two of them being lonely- all in good taste, of course.

She had a hard time focusing on the conversation because her thoughts lingered on Owain. As they goaded her about dating, she found it impossible to deny that she found the man attractive, though she kept that to herself. She barely knows him, so it’s not as if she can come out and say that she wants to date him, even if she is very, very curious about the unusual man.

Hearing Ophelia talking about how well she and Kana got along doesn’t make it easier to ignore those thoughts. It’s all coming on so suddenly, and she realizes that it’s been years since the last time she’s had anything resembling a crush. She knows that she’s too old for something like that, and yet she can’t help but feel a little thrill when she talks to Owain on the phone.

Does she really like him so much after just meeting him? He’s certainly eccentric, which makes him more interesting than most people she meets, and, as she said before, he really brightens up a room. But that’s no reason for her to just assume that there’s something going on between them after just one evening. She knows better than to think along those lines, so soon.

However, if Ophelia continues to babysit Kana, then she’s going to get to see a lot more of Odin, and she’s going to get to know him better. She decides she’s going to keep an open mind, and wait and see what happens.

~X~

“Did you have fun tonight?”

“I had many great adventures with the dragon prince, Kana!” his daughter replies.

“Oho, I was not aware that Kana was a legendary being such as that! It seems even Odin Dark can be blind to such things! I am most lucky to have a worthy successor such as you.”

“Did you like his mother?”

The question from Ophelia catches him off-guard. It takes him a moment to realize that there’s no way she knows what he’s been thinking about tonight, and that she probably means in the general sense. “She’s a nice woman,” he replies. “What makes you ask?”

“From what Kana said, she sounds lonely. He wants you to be friends with her because he’s worried about her, I think. I was just letting you know.”

When he thinks about Corrin being lonely, he wonders if he is. He hasn’t stopped to think about his own loneliness, too afraid to face it head on, but now…he shoves those thoughts to the back of his mind, deciding to think about that another time. It’s too soon to wonder about his own feelings, and it’s too much for him to think about right now.

“Well, if she’s in need of a companion, I’m sure that Odin Dark can help stay the loneliness that threatens to grip her,” he replies, using his theatrics to cover up his own thoughts. She goes back and forth with him as they drive home, expressing interest in watching Kana again in her own way, and Owain does what he can to distract himself.

He hasn’t thought about dating, or anything resembling romance in so long, and he wonders if that’s changing.


End file.
